Collapsible ballot receptacle



A,1S, 181.1953 R.' RMILLER V 2,649,244

' l COLLAPSIBLEVBALLOT RECEPTACLE Filed sept. 1, 195o 2 sheets-sheen y E??? iQ/i5* Aug. 18,1953 R. R. MILLER l2,649,244

COLLAPSIBLE BALLOT RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. l, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 18, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims. (Cl. 7232-2) (Granted under Title 35, S. Code (1052),

sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manu- `f actured and used by or for the Government of Athe United States for governmental purposes ported 'and when not in use may be collapsed 'into a compact unit for storage and/or shipment. A further object of the invention is to provide vameans for sealing the ballot-box after the polls have been 'ofiicially closed. This sealing 'means is 'designed to give positive evidence of any tampering with the contents of the box.

ln 4the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form offmy invention:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device with supporting lmembers in folded and locked position, and a seal in place with a signature applied. AFigure 2is a side elevation of Figure 1 except for the omission of the seal. e

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line 3;-'3 of `Figure 1, the seal being omitted.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of my device in operative position, with supporting members hooked over a portion of a supporting desk drawer or the like, the latter being indicated by'dash and dot lines.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4 except that a hinged cover is in closed position.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of a portion of my device, showing the sealing means.

Figure 7 is a broken away detail showing one corner of a pouch frame and a supporting slide.

In these drawings:

A iiexible pouch I3, which may be made of suitable canvas with concealed inturned seams to insure against any fraudulent tampering with the contents of a sealed box, has a margin il secured between two relatively rigid frames I2 which may be formed of fiber board or the like and united with the pouch by means of a suitable adhesive, staples, by sewing or by other suitable means. (See Figures 3, 5 and 7.)

The frames I2 t in a recess I3 in a supporting slide I4 (Figure 7) Which is provided with a central aperture I5 for receiving the pouch I0.

The supporting slide I4 is mounted in a groove I6 (Figure 3) in a main suspending closure member II (Figure 1) comprising an upper frame member I8 including a transverse bar I9, a closing sheet provided with a narrow ballot receiving slot 2l (Figure 3), a U-shaped slide support 22 (Figure 3) for supportingfthe `slide I4. lIhe latter is freefto be reciprocated in a glroove formed by the closing sheet 2G and the U`shaped slide support 22 in combination withan intermediate spacer between the sheet 2t and the slide support `22. The above recited members of the suspending closure member II are *rigidly united, preferably by countersunk rivets 23.

To the transverse bar I 9 is hinged a closure 2`4 which is provided with two parallel slots 25 and 26 for two sealing loops 21 and 28 rigidly fastened to the slide I4 and the frame member I8, respectively. On the under side of the closure 24, there is secured a seal supporting loop 29, preferably aligned with the slot 2I. rI'he box is sealed by passing a ilexible `strip of strong gummed tape 30 through the sealing loops 2l and 28, a suitable vsignature card 3| is secured to the tape 30, the

free end of which is thenmoistened and pressed against the card 3l across which are written rcertifying signatures and, as a further precaution, a strip of transparent tape 32 may besecured over the signatures on the card 3'I.

My device is designed for suspension bytwo folding hangers 33, each having a hook 34 for `engager-nent with the edge of an open drawer` 35,

or the like. Each hanger is mounted in two bearings 36 which are attached to the suspending closure member I'l and, when folded, the hooks 34 may be reciprocated in the bearings 36 for retention under a retaining clip 3l. As is clearly shown in Fig. 1, when the slidable hook means 33-34 are in the position in which they lie flat against the frame I8 and are being moved under the keeper 3?,.the resilient arms 33 thereof flex to slide over the raised portion 24a of the hinged cover 24 and drop therebehind, as the portions 34 approach their maximum projection under the keeper. The raised portion 24a thus serves to retain the slidable hook means 33-34 inthe keeper Si until forcibly withdrawn therefrom.

My ballot box may be readily transported in an ordinary brief case, even though the pouch provides ample room for receiving a large number of ballots. The provision for sealing a closed ballot box also provides protection against tampering equal to that of a ballot box having a rigid ballot receiving receptacle.

In operation, my device may be supported on a desk drawer, or the like, with the closure 24 turned back to expose the slot 2| and the seal supporting loop 29, by means of the suspending hangers 33. At the close of the balloting period, the closure 24 is turned to the slot sealing position, a gummed tape 3i! of a signature card 3l is passed through the sealing loops 2l and 28. then moistened and pressed against the card 3|. The signatures of the judges of election are written across the card 3l and the tape 38 after which the signatures may be protected by a piece of transparent adhesive tape 32. With my novel ballot receptacle, a single supporting frame may be used With a plurality of detachable pouches bearing diierent stencil markings. Worn out or defective pouches may also be replaced with a minimum loss of time and a material saving in cost of replacement. The hook means 33, retained in keeper 3l, holds cover 24 closed. Thus seal strip 30 is relieved of any strainY of holding the cover 24 closed or holding the slide i4 in the.

frame.

Since many Widely differing embodiments of this invention will occur to one skilled in this art, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described, and changes and variations of the invention can be made Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible ballot receptacle comprising an open mouthed flexible pouch having a stii, ilat, horizontally extending ilange about its mouth; a slide having anopening for the passage of the pouch therethrough and having a marginal recess about said opening for removably receiving and supporting said flange; a slide receiving frame havinggrooves for slidably receiving said slide, said frame preventing removal ol` said pouch from said slide when in place therein, said frame having a ballot slot therethrough overlying the opening in the slide and the open mouth of the pouch when in place therein and having a cover plate hinged to said frame and in one position overlying and closing said ballot slot; said cover plate and slide being provided with interengaging means for holding said slide in said frame in the closed position of said cover, said frame further having slidably mounted thereon supporting hook means in one position extending beyond the frame to engage over a drawer edge or the like, and in another position thereof lying flat on said 4 frame and holding said hinged cover in closed position, and said frame comprising means for holding said slidable hook means in said last named position thereby holding said cover closed and said slide and pouch in the closed frame.

2. A collapsible ballot receptacle according to claim 1, in which the means for holding said slidable hook means in said last named position comprises a keeper under which the slidable hook means is slidable when flat on the frame, and a Vraised portion on the frame that a part of the slidable hooks means resiliently slides over and drops behind in sliding into said keeper, said raised portion retaining said slidable hook means in said keeper until forcibly Withdrawn therefrom.

3. A collapsible ballot receptacle according to claim 1 in which said interengaging means comprises an upstanding sealing loop carried by said slide and a slotted hasp carried by said cover and positioned to pass over said upstanding sealing loop in the closed position of said cover With the slide in place in the frame, and in which said frame further comprises a second sealing loop that in the closed position of the cover lies adjacent the portion of said slide carried loop projecting through said hasp slot, said loops providing for the passage of a sealing strip therethrough, and said hook means and the means for holding the same in the position in which the hook means holds the hinged cover closed, serving to relieve such sealing strip from the strain of holding the cover closed, while the hasp engagement with the slide loop relieves such sealing strip from the strain of holding the slide in position in the frame.

RUSSEL R. MILLER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 358,632 Teller Mar. 1, 1887 400,026 Wlcek Mar. 19, 1889 911,286 Beman Feb. 2, 1909 1,821,710 Holbert Sept. l, 1931 

